Love Story
by RentParty
Summary: Last time we left the Aida characters, a man and a woman layed eyes on eachother in a museum...Now see how that came to be and what happens. I promise...this'll be a good Aida fanfic ;0) Ch. 4 up!
1. Girl In The White Dress

Ryan stepped into the air-conditioned museum. A huge dinosaur overlooked him. He felt so insignificant compared to the giant skeletal remains. Today, Ryan was researching Eastern designs for a new Broadway musical. As the set designer of the show, he felt he should do more research. He had visited the modern art museum earlier that day and found many great ideas he could use. A young girl greeted the attractive man. She marveled at his short, curly, dirty blonde hair and bright green eyes. Ryan had a well-built body and, as the young girl noticed, a nice butt.  
  
As he walked through the halls, Ryan soaked up the ancient culture. Straight out of college, this is Ryan's first major show to design. He was always an over-achiever, probably the key to his success. He knew since high school that he wanted to do something he enjoyed as a career. That's when he got into theatre. It wasn't until his first year in college that he knew he wanted to be a designer. It was his senior year at NYU when John Cassidy, a big-time Broadway director, discovered him. How could Ryan turn down a job of that stature? Ryan signed on to design the new hit musical Love Story. The title stands on it's own – the story is about love and how the characters face it. It was based on some opera, or so Ryan was old. Today's mission was to find an inspiration for the big party scene where the lovers meet. "I want a lot of middle eastern designs for this scene," Cassidy told Ryan.  
  
Lots of ideas came to him as he examined the different patterns and colors. The next exhibit was the Egyptian hall. The attraction wasn't very big but pretty popular. There was a beautiful wax figure of a woman. "Amneris, Queen of Egypt," Ryan read. He moved on to what looked like a big box. "An Egyptian tomb. Used to burry traitors of the Egyptian empire." Brutal, Ryan thought. He moved away, but as he did he noticed a young woman reading the notes of the tomb. She was African America or just dark skinned, thin, and very pretty. Her long white dress accentuated her body. She looked up from the exhibit and fixed her eyes to Ryan. It was then that he realized that he was staring. She smiled at him and then walked away towards the wax figure of the queen. He watched her as she walked away and took one last look as he realized that he was running late. He was supposed to meet the lighting designer to discuss ideas for the show. He started for the exit when he stopped in his tracks. He had the feeling that something was watching him. All he could see was the wax figure through his peripheral vision. Slowly he turned and saw the queen staring down. Then he noticed behind it and he saw the figure of the girl, her eyes on his.  
  
* * *  
  
The subway was a great way to get around in New York City. Ryan was on his way to meeting the lighting designer, Alex, for dinner. He had never met him but has heard a lot about his work. The door to the train opened and a few people entered - some homeless guy, a few teenagers, and a woman carrying a baby. The doors were closing but a hand stopped them. They opened again revealing the woman he saw at the museum. Ryan was surprised to see her again and he silently prayed she would get on. She looked around her for a moment, glanced at a piece of paper, gave a confused look, and got off the train. Oh well, thought Ryan.  
  
* * *  
  
He was surprised to discover that Alex had not arrived yet. Ryan sat at the table going over his notes and files. A lot of the designs were beautiful. Running out of the museum, Ryan grabbed as many stills as he could of the exhibits and studied them now. The candle lighting didn't help all that much. The restaurant was nice. Dimly lit, but nice. Ryan admired how the Egyptians built so many beautiful things. They were very…he felt a light tap on his shoulder. "Ryan?" a voice inquired behind him. Finally, Ryan thought as he turned around. Before he could get a word out, his mouth dropped in shock. Standing before him, in that gorgeous white dress, was the woman he saw at the museum and on the subway. He struggled to speak. "H … Hi."  
  
"Hello. I am Alexis, the lighting designer." 


	2. The Meeting

Ryan must have stuttered for a moment before actually getting another word out. "Alexis?" Okay, so maybe he wasn't exactly a he but rather a she; a very nice she. Those eyes that pierced through him at the museum now stared into him at the restaurant. She moved to the empty chair in front of Ryan and put down her things. "I'm sorry I'm late. I got lost in the subway and …"  
  
"Yes, I know. I saw you." She sat down. "I hope I didn't keep you waiting too long," She said. "No, just a few minutes." He studied her face. She was young, as young as he was. Her black hair was long and in braids yet didn't take away from her sophisticated style. She had a lot of class. "I saw you at the museum, didn't I?" she inquired. "Actually you did. I was there looking for some ideas on Cassidy's big party scene. You know, the one were the two lovers meet."  
  
"Oh yes. That is my favorite scene. It's so romantic." A waiter came by the table. "Are you two ready to order?" he asked. "Not just yet," she answered. "Thank you." He dropped off a few menus and went on his way but not before giving Ryan a wink and mouthing "Good one." Maurice, thought Ryan. He mouthed back, "Just business." He turned back to Alexis. "So, tell me about yourself," he asked hoping to find out more about this woman. "Well I just finished a job doing assistant lighting designer from a small show. I met Cassidy our opening night. He loved the work I did and asked me to tag along as lighting director. I thought it was a dream come true. I mean, I had just come out of college and here I am on my second show."  
  
"This one's going to be big, though. Where did you go to college?"  
  
"A small conservatory in California. I've lived here in New York for about two years now."  
  
They conversed a little more about different things. Ryan found that Alexis was much like him, they had the same hobbies and talents. Ryan found himself becoming a lot more comfortable with her. "I think I was drawn to this show almost immediately," she said. "I think it was because of the whole forbidden love thing. I mean, I have always been a fan of those types of stories." Maurice approached the table with their meals and placed the plates on the table. "One of my favorite stories was Romeo and Juliet," Ryan joked. "So you're a Shakespeare fan?" Alexis intrigued. "No. Not really." They laughed.  
  
* * *  
  
"So I was thinking of using this color for a lot of the furniture in the living room," Ryan pointed to on of the colored fabrics. Alexis gave him a peculiar look. "That would be nice, but if you go a shade lighter then the then the furniture wouldn't blend so much with night sky in the background," She answered. My god, Ryan thought. She's pretty and smart. She gave him a mocking smile and a playful push. "Well. You shut me up," he said. "Well that's what we have meetings like this for," she smiled. Ryan smiled back. "Absolutely," Ryan looked at his watch. 10:54 pm. They both had to wake up early for a meeting with the director. "Well look, I better get going," he said. "Oh. Well okay. I suppose we should leave. It's getting late and we have a meeting with Cassidy bright and early." She picked up her things and he grabbed his. He didn't want to leave her so soon, they had a lot of fun together. "Hey, what train do you get on?" She stopped and felt relief that she didn't have to leave his company so soon. "I'm on the A train." The A train! That's completely opposite of where Ryan had to go. "Would you care if I accompanied you?" he asked. Alexis felt a sting of joy. How long had she known this man and they were already becoming such good friends? "Well, only because we've done nothing but talk about work all night." They both began to laugh as they made their way out of the restaurant.  
  
The rest of the night was fun for the two of them. They joked and played on the subway and Ryan knew that he was lucky to get to work with such a great person. He also knew that he was attracted to her. Somehow they got on the topic of romance. Ryan discovered that Alexis was single, to his surprise. Before they could finish their conversation, Ryan realized that he needed to get on his train. "Goodbye. I'll see you tomorrow," she called to him. He got one last look at her, she was blowing him a kisss, and the doors closed. Ryan went to sleep that night thinking about her and about how he will see her tomorrow and he couldn't help but feel anxious. He laid in his bed and thought about her and something whispered to him as he fell into sleep. 


	3. The Lover's Stars

The stars twinkled brightly in the night sky. Each one was clear and shone like polished jewels. The sky was a painting, darks and lights mixed in perfectly by the Gods' paintbrush. Tonight was truly magical. Ryan laid in the grass staring at the work of art. The grass tickled his bareback and wind blew over his chest. In his arms laid the young woman sleeping. He ran his hand up and down her back, feeling every inch of her soft skin. Nothing could ruin this moment between them. She began to move and her eyes opened slowly. He looked into them and could see everything – the stars, the sky, the earth. The Gods and all their glory radiated in the eyes of this woman.  
  
That night they had become one for the entire world to see. He didn't care if it was wrong or right because the feelings he felt could not be put in black or white. Nothing could ever be that simple. She kissed his arm gently and looked up at the stars. She saw pictures of lovers like themselves gazing down on earth. "I must go soon," he whispered. He did not want to leave her but he had no choice. They could not be found here together. "Don't leave, not yet," she said softly. "I never want to leave you, Aida."  
  
Aida? The image broke and the sky turned black. Ryan opened his eyes and saw the ceiling of his room. He was breathing deeply and sweat trickled down his forehead. Another dream, he thought. He sat up in his bed and turned on a lamp. The light stung his eyes and he saw that he was no longer in lying in grass. Who was it that was in his dream? Who's eyes was he staring into? He remembered very vaguely the details of the dream. Then it struck him like a bolt of lightning. The young woman … Aina…Aliana, or whatever. It was Alexis. 


	4. On the Subway/Rehearsal

Alexis was feeling great. She sipped her coffee as she read the newspaper. Politics, she thought. How ridiculous. The subway train rumbled and she bounced a little, unable to finish the article. She put the paper down and leaned back in her chair. Alexis was a fairly young woman, two years out of college. Her career boomed after she graduated, doing lighting and set design on a friend's small production. When John Cassidy asked her to design his show, she jumped at the opportunity. Broadway was a big deal and she absolutely loved the show. She saw it when it was in workshop and she thought it was beautiful. Two people meet and fall in love only to discover that the man must marry another woman. Classic Ricki Lake love triangle. Cassidy wanted a more modern feel then the original production had. That's where Alexis came in. Actually Alexis and Ryan. Ryan, she thought as the train halted. What a cool guy. She thought about last night and how much fun they had together. They were very compatible and she couldn't help but think about him even after they departed. She thought about his laugh, his smile … his butt. Okay, so she didn't deny that there was some attraction to him. She prayed that he wasn't too good to be true. What if he had a girlfriend, or worse – what if he ended up being gay? She sank down in her chair. I doubt it, she thought.  
  
The door to the train opened and a young guy entered. He was probably no older then 21 and carrying a book bag. She recognized him from somewhere. He sat down and put his bag next to him. She glanced at him, hoping he wouldn't notice her staring. Where have I seen him? She thought a moment. Unable to recall whom the man was, she picked up the newspaper and opened it to the entertainment section. The man pulled out a portable CD player and put the earphones on. As he looked up, he saw Alexis and recognized her immediately. He leaned forward and said, "Excuse me." She looked up. "Yes?"  
  
"You're Alexis, right?" She felt a little awkward. "Um yes."  
  
"Hi, I'm Maurice." He extended his hand out to her. "I believe I saw you last night with one of my good friends, Ryan." Of course! She remembered now. The waiter. "Yes, of course."  
  
"I heard you're working on the show too," he said pulling off the earphones. "I'm the lighting director," she said with a smile. "How did you hear about the show?" He leaned back. "I'm in the ensemble. I was in the show early in the production." Alexis was more at ease now. "So what do you think of Ryan?" he asked/ "Oh… well he was very nice. A perfect gentleman and I am excited to be working with him," she replied sounding almost professional. "Eh, that's cool. We were friends in college. I met up with him again when he joined the crew."  
  
* * *  
  
Maurice walked with her to the theater. Props and furniture for the show were scattered around the hallway. "I got to go join the others to get ready. I'll see you later," he said as he walked away to change into his rehearsal clothes. The theater was huge, but you wouldn't have noticed from the outside. The lobby and house was recently refurnished and beautifully painted. Alexis turned the corner and saw Cassidy's office. She slowly opened it and popped her head inside the room. There she saw a desk covered with papers and forms. Sitting behind the desk was the middle-aged, brown haired man known as John Cassidy. Also in the room was Ryan sitting in one of the chairs discussing something with Cassidy. "Alexis, you're here!" He stood and greeted her. He motioned for her to sit down in the empty chair. She did, putting her things down next to her. She looked at Ryan and smiled. "Hello Alexis," he said. "So hearing from Ryan's reaction, I can tell you two will make a wonderful team," said Cassidy. "I was just discussing some of the things we talked about last night," Ryan said. "And I love the ideas, very post modern," Cassidy interrupted joyfully. "Thank you. I'm glad you like them," she said humbly. Suddenly, one of the stage managers, a young, small woman opened the door. "Cassidy, we're ready," she said. "Good," He turned to them. "We've been rehearsing a few days here to get use to the space. We've taken your work to our workshops and they should be ready in time to make our rehearsal schedule before the opening in two weeks."  
  
"Your men work fast, Cassidy," Alexis said. "We have the best," Cassidy smiled. The girl interrupted once again. "Sir, we're ready." Cassidy got up from the chair. "Yes, I am coming."  
  
* * *  
  
All the dancers were warmed up and eager to begin. They waited onstage for Cassidy to come in. Maurice laid on his back and stared up at the ceiling. Lights covered the view. The sound of the door slamming open filled the room and in walked Cassidy, followed by Alexis and Ryan. "You two can sit in the audience," Cassidy instructed. Suddenly, from out of the crowd of the ensemble members was a cry. "Ryan!" Out of the people ran a blonde girl, young and pretty. She jumped up and hugged Ryan. "Hello Amanda," he said. She was extremely happy to see him. "Hello? That's all you have to say?" She looked next to Ryan were Alexis stood. "Ryan, how rude of you. Not introducing your friend," she said playfully. Alexis smiled at the ecstatic girl. "Alexis, this is my girlfriend, Amanda." 


End file.
